Roof container



Sept. 13, 1 938.

ROOF CONTAINER Filed July 16, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 n l n n gmc/whom N. M. LoNEY ET Al. 25129,'951` Y Sept. 13, 1938.

N. M. LONEY ET AL ROOF CONTAINER v Filed July 16, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ifa @247215011 Sept. 13, 1938. N. M. LONEY ET AL 2,129,951

RooF CONTAINER Filed July 16, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 25 ggg/25 wl 29 /Q 26 25 il.j

Patented Sept. 13, 41938 UNITED ST'i'ES PATET OFFIQE ROOF CONTAINER Neil M. Loney, Huntington Woods, and William E. Van Berg and Otto Ferguson, Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 16, 1937, Serial No. 153,902

9 Claims. (Cl. 211-13) This invention has to do with the shipment Additional objects and advantages of the inof sheet metal panels or the like and is convention will become apparent during the course cerned especially with the loading for transporof the following specification having reference tation of formed roof decks of automobile bodies. to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure In the automobile body industry where the body 1 is an elevation of a loaded container; Figure 2 5 assembly plant is located at a distance from the is an end View of the container; Figure 3 is a press shop there arises the problem of proper detail perspective view of a few of the suspenpacking of stamped panels in the freight car sion hangers; Figure 4 shows the clamping mechor other conveyance to avoid damage in transit anism and is a View looking in the direction of and handling and to make best use of the space the arrows on line 4-4 of Figure 2; Figure 5 10 available fo-r loading the panels in large numbers. is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig- Accordingly it is here proposed to fit to the ure l; Figure 6 is a view looking in the direction conventional freight c-ar a number of removable of the arrows on line B-S of Figure 2; Figure 7 containers which in the interest of durability is an enlarged detail View of two adjacent hangand continuous re-use, together with light weight ers; Figures 8 and 9 are detail perspectives of l5 and low cost of dunnage, are constructed of the panel clamping mechanism in operative and structural steel members welded together, each inoperative positions, respectively; Figure 10` container comprising a pair of sides spaced apart shows the clamp engaged with the roof and Figa distance substantially corresponding to the ure 11 is a section taken on line Il -ll of Figwidth of an individual panel to be loaded, to ure 1. 20 locate therebetween a succession of panels sepa- In the drawings the outline of a freight car rately and vertically hung from the sides by a in cross section is shown in Figure 1 wherein 2 series of suspension hangers arranged in pairs indicates the floor, 3 the roof and 4 and 5 the for engagement with the opposite edges of the side Walls. A loaded container is shown in porespective panels. Handling of the panels is iasition in the car, the containers being so con- 25 cilitated and l-abor reduced inasmuch as the constructed and proportioned that each is substantainers may be loaded and unloaded conveniently tially as long as the car is Wide and when placed outside the freight car and the loaded container side by side in succession about nine containers moved to and from stowed position. will fill a standard size freight car. Each con- Among the objects of the invention is the tainer is intended to hold approximately forty- 30 provision of an improved hanger and mounting two roof decks positioned vertically and inditherefor. Accordingly, each hanger comprises vidually suspended.

a forked hook to engage an offset portion at the Each container consists of a skeleton frameedge o-f the panel about midway of its vertical work and the bottom is supported upon the floor '35 height and the hook has camming surfaces by shoes 5 6. At suitable spaced intervals cross 35 thereon partly in the form of a dared entrance bars 'l connect a pair of longitudinal I-beams 8 mouth to facilitate reception and guidance of which together form a rectangular base. At the the offset to seated position. Separate pivotal four corners of the base, gusset plates 9-9 supmountings for each fork enables the forks on port vertically extending posts ifi also of I-beam 40 opposite sides to be swung in succession between or channel section, and the posts on the two sides 40 an operative load carrying position and an inare connected at vertically spaced intervals by operative position out of interference to the pas'- the longitudinal rails il, I2 and i3. At one end sage of panels into and out of the container the container is closed by aremovable gate comthrough an open end. prising cross members Illi4 and vertical mem- A further object of the invention is to provide bers l5-i5. The end gate is removed to facilitate l5 an improved holding device to guard against loading. It is held in place by a series of bolts shifting and displacement of loaded panels. A i6 passing at vertically spaced intervals through number of such devices are employed in vertialined openings in the side bars I5 and the web of cally spaced relation with the suspension hooks the adjacent post it, each having a slotted end and each includes an operating handle and a to receive the Wedge il, all as shown in Figure 5. 50

shiftable member to eng-age one of a group of The bolt i6 also passes through a spacer sleeve panels and by its movement to draw together i8 welded to the web of the post ill. The opposite the adjacent ends of the panels in the group end of the container may be closed by a similar and thereby securely locate the several panels structure preferably xedly secured to the adjathrough their contact one with another. cent vertical posts Iii-l0.

The roof decks I9, as seen in Figure 1, are stamped metal panels which are curved both longitudinally and transversely. Along opposite side edges a molding bead 20 is formed to constitute in cooperation with the gutter piece 20a welded thereto, a drain channel or drip molding when the panel is assembled as an automobile body top. In the forward portion of its length the bead 20 carries an angular` offset comprising a downturned portion 2l and an inturned flange 22. When placed in a vertical position the lower edge of the oiTset is utilized for the suspension of the panel.

'I'his is shown best in Figure 3 where the lower edge of the offset rests upon one end of a pivoted hanger 23 resting upon the bottom flange of the angle rail I2. 'Ihe end which seats the panel offset has an upwardly open fork constituted by a pair of tines 24 and 25 bent away from each other toward the top so as to provide an upwardly opening flaring entrance mouth to receive the portion 2| of the offset. In addition the side face 2S of the tine 24 which engages with the inturned ange 22 of the oifset tapers upwardly or recedes in a direction opposite to a correspondingly inclined face 21 on the tine 25 and which engages the inturned portion of the bead 2D. The surfaces 26 and 21, therefore, provide cooperating cam faces which in conjunction with the flaring entrance mouth of the fork facilitates easy insertion of the offset and its downward movement to final seating position on the hanger 23. A pair of such hangers, one at each side of the container, serve to support each roof panel individually in the container. The engagement of the roof panels intermediate of their length with the suspension hangers effects a distribution of the load in the sense that the lower half of the panel is suspended in tension and the upper half supported in compression and this avoids the distortion and buckling ordinarily occurring when the panels are rested on their longitudinal or transverse edges.

Inasmuch as these hangers 23 project inwardly in the path of the panel during loading and unloading the pivotal mounting enables them to be swung outwardly out of interference at such times when they are not in use. For this purpose the end of the hanger opposite the fork is welded to a pivot pin 28 mounted in the adjacent upright ilanges of a series of U-shaped stampings 29 carried by the base flange of the angle I2. In order to avoid damage to the panels during loading by their engagement with the hard edge of the base flange of the angle I2 a wooden rub rail 30 is preferably bolted to the flange and projected inwardly a slight distance beyond the edge. A similar buffer is carried by the angle rail II.

To prevent displacement of the panels during transit they are clamped against one another in groups. It is proposed after say seven panels are loaded, that they be clamped together and then additional groups of seven are loaded and clamped together in succession. The clamping mechanism is carried on each side of the container by the upper rails I3 and may consist of an over center leverage device as shown in detail in Figures 4, 8 and 9. Engagement with the roof panel is through the drip channel 23a by a hook 3l connected by a link 32 with the hand lever 33. The hand lever is pivoted to a block 34 and in the clamped position of the parts, as shown in Figure 4, the opposite ends of the link 32 have their pivot axes arranged on a line belowy the axis of the swinging lever 34 so that an overcenter relation is established which resists accidental displacement. In addition a latch 35 pivoted to a bracket 36 is positioned in the path of the hand lever. Ihe pivot mounting for the latch 35 is off-center and toward one side so that normally it hangs downwardly at an angle to the vertical. It is pushed back by its engagement with the descending lever until it is cleared when it returns to locking relation and requires pushing back by hand before the lever can be released.

To guide the hook 3I on a straight line during its movement to and from clamped position it has welded thereon an L-shaped member 3l which embraces the inner edge of the horizontal flange on the angle I3. This member also locates the hook 3| in the path of the drip molding 20a and consequently to facilitate passage of the roof panels in and out of the container it is desirable that the clamping mechanism be shiftable laterally beyond the ange edge and held within the vertical limits of the angle member I3. Accordingly the pivot connections between the parts are loose or sloppy and this enables the member 35 to be disengaged with the edge of the angle I3 and placed above the inturned flange. To hold the parts outwardly the hand lever 33 is thrown behind an angle clip 38 which through its frictional engagement prevents accidental displacement of the handle during return shipment of the empty container and during the loading and unloading of the panels.

In order that the container may be universal for use with panels of different dimensions, it is proposed that the rails II and I2 be mounted adjustably for height and width. Accordingly, these rails at each side form a subassembly unit and are joined at their ends to the vertically disposed angle irons 39 and are braced by diagonal struts 4U. The two subassemblies along opposite sides can then be fastened to the corner posts I0 at the desired vertical and transverse position by a series of bolts and nuts as at 4I in Figure l1, passing through alined openings in the inturned leg of each angle 39 and its adjacent post I0. In the illustrated embodiment, the post contains three groups of four openings, respectively offset vertically and transversely for selective alignment with corresponding holes in the angle iron. The outer and lowermost group is for fastening the side frame to accommodate sedan roofs, the intermediate group positions the frame as shown for coach roofs, and the inner and uppermost group locates the frame for coup roof, panels, the variation in height being determined by the interruption or termination of the offset side flanges 2I-22 in the individual types of roof panels.

We claim:

l. A shipping container for containing a number of vertically positioned automobile roof panels which have shouldered oiset portions along opposite sides, said container comprising a pair of spaced side walls and a pair of end walls, detachable connections between one of said end walls and the side walls to enable loading and unloading of roof panels through an open end of the container, longitudinal successions of forks carried by the side walls and arranged so that each fork cooperates with an oppositely disposed fork and the forks of each pair provide locating hangers to suspend a roof panel through engagement with its offset portions, means pivotally mounting said forks for outward swinging movement, and a series of overcenter clamping devices carried by each side wall for engagement, respectively, with a given panel of a group to draw together the panels of the group.

2. In a shipping container for sheet metal panels or the like, a pair of spaced side members, a pair of panel suspending elements carried by said members and adapted to engage the opposite sides of a vertically positioned panel, additional pairs of panel suspending elements carried in spaced succession by the side members for indi* vidually suspending other panels, and a series of clamping devices shiftable longitudinally of said side members for engagement with individual panels of successive groups to clamp the panels together in groups.

3. Means toA suspend vertically a succession of sheet panels, including a container having side walls spaced apart a distance substantially corresponding with the width of the panels, panel suspending hooks arranged in pairs on the side walls and each pair being adapted to engage opposite edges of a panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof, and means movably mounting the hooks for movement between load suspending position and an inoperative position out of interference to the loading and unloading of successive panels.

4. A shipping container to contain a number of vertically disposed metal panels, having a pair of spaced sides and an open end through which the panels may be passed in succession, a pair of panel suspending hooks carried by said sides to engage the opposite edges of a panel, additional pairs of hooks to suspend other panels, and means pivotally mounting said last named hooks on said sides for their individual swinging movement to inoperative positions so as not to interfere with the passage of the panels to and from suspended position through the open end.

5. In a shipping container to contain a .number of vertically disposed panels, a pair of spaced sides to receive the panels therebetween, a series of upwardly opening forks carried by said sides and arranged in pairs to engage the panels along opposite edges and suspend the same, each fork having a pair of outwardly aring tines, one of which also has one side inclined laterally in one direction and the other of which has the opposite side inclined laterally in the other direction.

6. In a shipping container having spaced sides, devices on said sides for cooperation in pairs to suspend individual panels of a group in vertical position successively, means to clamp a group of panels together including a movable member engageable with one panel and by its movement drawing the group of panels together, and overcenter linkage for holding said member in adjusted position.

'7. In a shipping container having spaced sides, devices 0n said sides for cooperation in pairs to suspend individual panels of a group in vertical position successively, means to clamp a group of panels together including a movable member engageable with one panel and by its movement drawing the group of panels together, an operating lever for said member and means to lock the lever in member clamping position.

8. For shipping sheet metal panels or the like, a container adapted to receive a succession of panels through an open end, devices on opposite sides of the container arranged in pairs for individually suspending the panels in upright positions successively through engagement with opposite edges of the panels intermediate the top and bottom thereof and panel engaging means shiftable longitudinally of the container in vertically spaced relation to said devices for clamping suspended panels together.

9. In a shipping container for sheet metal panels or the like, a pair of spaced frames adapted to receive vertically disposed panels therebetween, seating devices carried by said frames to engage and suspend the panels along their opposite edges and means adjustably mounting said frames in selective vertical and transverseV positions to accommodate panels of different types.

NEIL M. LONEY.

WILLIAM E. VAN BERG. OTTO FERGUSON. 

